Cluster honey
Country of origin: Hungary
Contact person: Hierholcz Nikolett
E-mail: hierholcz.nikolett@gmail.com
Website:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/furtosmez
The Cluster honey (Fürtös méz) brand and company was founded by Nikolett Hierholcz with her sister Andrea Szűcs in the early 2010s. Andrea took care of the bees, and Niki was responsible for sales, marketing, and quality control. Starting a beekeeping career and business was not easy for the two young women. They started with fifty-five bee colonies and at the beginning encountered several problems with the bees. They had no help, in fact. The two female beekeepers met more counter-druckers. However, they have learned from their mistakes over time.
Niki studied wildlife conservation at Gödöllő University, majoring in wildlife biology, and that’s how pollinators, including bees, came to her attention. After university, she worked for multinational companies and learned how to sell quality products and create a brand. She also worked at the University of Pécs, where, among other things, he participated in interesting research with bees. During these, the bees were taught to recognize explosives or medical samples based on scent.
When beekeeping was started, the goal was to produce and sell high-quality honey. Their motto: “Health belongs to everyone.” To this end, they inspect their honey every year at the Institute of Biology of the University of Pécs. Seeing their results, more and more beekeepers asked them to sell their honey. The result of this was that, in addition to the sale of their own honey, a second branch of business was formed, through which the honey of other beekeepers is also tested and, if the quality is adequate, it is sold under the Fürtös brand name.
In 2023, in addition to the two business branches, a third one was launched, which focuses on experiences. They created a presentation and training room next to the famous Abaligeti Cseppkő Cave and Bat Museum in the Mecsek Mountains. In the presentation room – named Fürtös Ökokucko – various activities and experience programs are held for those interested in honey and bees. In Ökokucko, everything revolves around bees and honey. Their overarching goal is to show visitors the role of bees and other pollinators and the importance of their protection in nature.
For this, they offer three different programs. In the form of an interactive presentation, they present the life of bees, the beehive (hive), who is who in the hive, whose job is what, what is the division of labour in bees, what beekeepers do, etc. They tell you how honey is made and what kind of honeys there are.
The second program is for children and adults who love fairy tales. With the help of story cards, the participants will be part and creators of the story of “Fürti” the scout bee, and in the meantime they will learn a lot about bees and enjoy the joys of telling stories together.
The third program is an adventure tour, a treasure hunting game around the nearby lake, which makes the acquisition of knowledge exciting and keeps the participants moving. Players are given a map and must use it to find different icons around the lake. With every icon you find, you can learn something new about bees, something that wasn’t heard in the showroom. A numerical code can be formed from the icons, for which the participants in the game will receive a gift upon their return. The game around the lake lasts about 40-60 minutes and turns what you learn and experience about bees and honey into a memorable experience. The programs are always adapted to the level and knowledge of different age groups. In the summer, families vacationing locally with children of different ages came to the showroom. In spring and autumn, kindergarten and school groups accounted for the majority of visitors. In 2024, the lake was closed, so tourists came less. However, they have been discovered by groups and in the future, the reception of groups will be the focus of their activities
